Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter meeting recap – 2/20/2018
Twenty-three members and guests of the Bob Broeg St. Louis Chapter gathered at the Sports Cafe, located at 3579 Pennridge Drive in Bridgeton on Tuesday, February 20, 2018.
Chapter president Brian Flaspohler called the meeting to order. Newly elected treasurer Mark Stangl gave a financial summary for the recent Hot Stove Luncheon that was held on SABR Day. The summary was prepared by the outgoing treasurer, Wayne Hebden, who stepped down after serving as the chapter treasurer for several years. Thanks, Wayne, for your invaluable service these past years!
Flaspohler announced that the March meeting will be held on Sunday, March 18 at Ballpark Village starting at noon. It will be a celebration of what would have been Bob Broeg’s 100th birthday. Chapter members and guests will be encouraged to share any interesting stories, memorabilia, etc. they may have about Bob.
Ed Wheatley was excited to announce the premiere of the new documentary, “The St. Louis Browns: The Team Baseball Forgot” will air on Thursday, March 8th, 2018 at 8:00 p.m. CT on KETC-TV, St. Louis’s local PBS affiliate. He was also pleased to announce that the 2017 book, The St. Louis Browns: The Story of a Beloved Team, that he co-wrote with Bill Borst and Bill Rogers was chosen by the Sports Collector’s Digest as the #1 baseball book for 2017. Here is a link to a short promo for the film: https://hlkagency.box.com/s/yx4hbo6x5518ji1nkwg7etn24jkkxvzp
There was some discussion on the recent e-mail sent to chapter leaders by Leslie Heaphy about the possible name change for SABR, replacing American with Advancement. A majority of those present seemed to be in favor of the change.
Bob Tiemann presented some research on the recent Hall of Fame selectee, Jim Thome, particularly facing pitcher Rick Reed. In 2002, Thome was 8 for 16 off Reed, which included 7 home runs. For his career, Thome was 12 for 27 with 9 home runs off Reed.
Bob Giovanni gave a brief synopsis and review on the 2016 George Castle book, Baseball’s Game Changers.
Other topics of discussion were the outlook for the Cardinals in 2018, the limited mound visits that go into effect for the new year, the four faces that might go on a St. Louis Cardinals Mount Rushmore, and new tax laws that affect sports agents.
Bob Tiemann’s trivia topic was “The Grand Salami – St. Louis Style”. Mark Stangl was the winner with a score of 28 out of 30.
As stated earlier, the next regular monthly meeting will be Sunday, March 18, 2018 at the Ballpark Village. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.
— Jim Leefers